Zimi, a startup founded by Audrey Djiya and Peter Nsaka, has raised $2 million in seed funding to simplify cross-border commerce for international merchants. The company, launched earlier this year, aims to provide a holistic solution to the complex problems faced by brands shipping internationally, including high shipping costs, long delivery times, and reliance on expensive distributors.

Djiya and Nsaka, who met at Stanford Graduate School of Business, were inspired to start Zimi after observing the challenges faced by their family members in international commerce. Nsaka, a software engineer at Shopify, was particularly struck by the lack of data on African transactions during Black Friday sales, which motivated him to find a solution. The duo decided to team up and launch Zimi, which focuses on providing localized fulfillment centers for international merchants selling into the US market.

Zimi's platform aims to cut costs and delivery times for merchants while helping them manage tax regulations, currency exchange, and compliance. According to Nsaka, Zimi's CTO, the company's holistic solution sets it apart from competitors that only solve specific pieces of the cross-border puzzle. "Everything a merchant needs to do to sell internationally can be done in one place on our platform," he said.

The $2 million seed round was led by Fearless Fund, with participation from Y Combinator. The fundraising process was facilitated by a viral LinkedIn post about Zimi's launch, which caught the attention of Fearless Fund. The company also attracted early customers by generating lead lists and reaching out to brands directly on Instagram and email, as well as sharing their story on LinkedIn.

Zimi's customer acquisition strategy proved successful, with international merchants reaching out to relate to the problems the company was trying to solve. By being hands-on with early customers, Djiya and Nsaka gained invaluable insights into their needs and refined their product. The company plans to use the seed round to scale its US fulfillment networks, build and apply AI models to make the merchant experience more seamless, and launch a payment solution next year to help international merchants receive payment in US dollars.

Zimi is also looking to expand its customer base and team, with strong interest from brands across Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa who want to reach US customers. "We've only scratched the surface of making global commerce truly accessible for international brands," Nsaka said. With its innovative solution and growing customer base, Zimi is poised to make a significant impact in the cross-border commerce space.

The success of Zimi serves as a testament to the power of entrepreneurial spirit and the importance of identifying and solving real-world problems. As the company continues to grow and expand, it will be interesting to see how it addresses the complex challenges of cross-border commerce and makes a difference in the lives of international merchants.